Brown

Brown....There are many different families bearing this name, of which the descendants of James and Wm Browne, of Nottingham, are perhaps the most numerous. They were the sons of Richard and Mary Browne, of Puddington, near Wellingboro, Northamptonshire. Their father died 9-28-1662 and of his 8 children, James was born 3-27-1656, and Wm 1-29-1658. James was married at Burlington NJ 6-8-1679, to Honor, dau Wm Clayton, of Chichester, where he also settled at first. His children were James b Marcus Hook 1-17-1681; Wm b 1-13-1682; Clayton b 8-1-1685; Jeremiah, Margery, Daniel and Mary.

Wm Browne was married in England to Doroghy ? and his eldest son, Joseph, was born there 4-12-1682. In 1684 he married a second wife, Ann Mercer, in 1699 a third Catharine Williams and in 1711, a fourth, Mary Mathews. Tradition says that Wm Browne, cut the first tree in the settlement of Nottingham, and it is known that the first Friends' meeting was held at his home. His son, Mercer (or Messer) Brown, was a Justice of Common Please and a useful citizen.

Wm Brown, son of James, married Esther Yardley of Bucks Co, and had children, Wm, a noted minister; Margaret, m to John Churchman; James and Daniel Of these, James m Miriam Churchman who was also a minister, and d Wilmington 3-4-1772. His son Elijah b 3-12-1740m removed in `1757 to Philadelphia, and was one of the Friends exiled to Va in 1777. He married in 1761, Mary Armitt, and d 8-27-1810. His great grandson, Henry Armitt Brown, the gifted writer and orator, d Aug 21, 1878.